1-800Accountant Alternatives: Four Other Ways to Get Your Business Taxes Done

What you would be replacing

1-800Accountant lists three plans at $209, $299 and $469 a month, billed annually, so the entry plan comes to $2,508 a year. Filing your return starts with the $299 Starter plan; the entry Tax Advisory plan lists year-round tax advice but not filing. Its terms say annual fees are up to 90 percent refundable only within 30 days of purchase, less services rendered, and non-refundable after that.

It is a real firm, and for an owner who wants year-round advice on an annual plan it can fit. Our 1-800Accountant review covers the plans in detail. The options below suit owners who want monthly billing, a person nearby, or a lower total.

A local certified public accountant or enrolled agent

Best for: owners who want one named person who prepares the whole return. Anyone with an IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number can prepare returns for pay, so check credentials. Certified public accountants, enrolled agents and attorneys hold credentials the IRS recognizes, and the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers lists credentialed preparers near you. Fees vary by firm and by return, so ask for a written quote that covers the whole year.

Pilot

Best for: a growing business that wants its books kept and its taxes filed by one firm. Pilot lists bookkeeping from $99 a month for businesses with up to $100,000 in monthly expenses. Its tax plans start at $1,000 a year for single-member limited liability companies and $2,000 a year for partnerships and S corporations, and they must be bought together with Pilot bookkeeping. That makes it closer to 1-800Accountant's Business Complete plan than to a tax-only service. Price your own expense level on the page before you compare.

Keeper

Best for: freelancers and solo owners who mainly need a correct return and tracked expenses. Keeper says its filing includes federal and state returns, and it lists expense tracking. It prices plans by year: Standard at $199, Premium at $399 and Business at $1,199. Quarterly tax support and a dedicated accountant appear on Premium, not Standard, and the Business plan is the one it lists for S corporation and partnership returns.

Tax software you run yourself

Best for: a sole proprietor with simple books who is willing to do the work. TaxAct lists a free federal tier, paid tiers from $59.99 to $109.99 plus state, with a Self-Employed tier at the top of that range, and an expert-filed option from $99 plus state. Cash App Taxes says filing is free for both state and federal returns. Software gives no advice, so the saving holds only if you do not need it.

Our cost comparison tool sets software, a local preparer and 1-800Accountant side by side over a year. In short: a local preparer and Keeper sell a person who does the work, Pilot adds monthly bookkeeping, and software costs least but leaves every judgment to you.

A short checklist

Before you switch or sign: list the returns you need filed, federal and state; decide whether you need bookkeeping or only a return; turn every price into a yearly total, state returns included; read the refund and cancellation terms before you pay anything up front; and check a preparer's credentials in the IRS directory.

If you already pay 1-800Accountant, check the date you bought before you decide. Its terms limit refunds of annual fees to the first 30 days, so after that window the fee stays paid whichever way you go.